


A Week of Marihilda (2020 edition)

by Nezanie



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, beast!Marianne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22245814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezanie/pseuds/Nezanie
Summary: A series of short drabbles focusing on marihilda using the following week prompts from https://twitter.com/marihildaweek. Which word will inspire me I wonder?Day 1: scars/cuddlesDay 2: jewelry/future/long distanceDay 3: flowers/horse ride/fairy taleDay 4: modern au/soulmates/comfortDay 5: family/goddess tower/beastDay 6:dance/confession/tearsDay 7: Free Day
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	1. After the Battle

**Author's Note:**

> I just found out this week is marihildaweek so I'll do my best to give you fun goodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda and Marianne find comfort in one another  
> Day 1: scars and cuddles

In five short years, their world had been turned topsy turvy; unpredictable, savage and uncaring. Hilda marched with her unit following paths she remembered being lush and vibrant once upon a time, that had now been reduced to ash and gravel. Without a complaint, she moved slowly and steadily, she needed to lead them to safety. Many were injured leaning into their comrades for support. 

They were close to the ruins of Garreg Mach monastery, and fondly she recalled when they were students and thought of it as a second home. A stronghold on the Oghma mountains that was once thought as impenetrable. A few days ago, the place was nothing but a forgotten memory and looking up towards the ruins, a blemish towards it's once proud history as the stronghold of the church of Seiros, Hilda felt sick to the stomach even when she came back for their fated class reunion. 

Now it was their secret hideout, and they had promised to rebuild it and have it regain its former glory. They still had a long way to go and the sorry sight reminded her of it's darker days. It was easy to think negatively after a gruesome battle. She wanted to get back to camp as fast as possible and concentrate on anything but that horrible start of the war that had made everything fall apart. The Adrestian Empire still held the advantage but now that the professor was back surely there was hope for an alternative route other than being assimilated.

As soon as they arrived at their resting point for the night, she got to work immediately, they were still half a day away from Garreg Mach and their wounded needed to be able to make the last stretch of journey to get home. Hilda only slipped away from the crowd the moment she made sure everyone was either tended to in the infirmary tent or didn't need her passing out instructions. 

Claude must have seen her distress, his surprise gave way to a tired smile that mirrored Hilda's own, he mouthed helpfully, pointing towards their current living abodes, which were just a few flimsy tents pitched up for the night, _ 'She's okay, go to your tent _ .' With an appreciative wink, she ran off feeling quite tuckered out for the day. 

" _ Oh _ ," she giggled stumbling upon quite the sight when she raised the flap to the tent she shared with Marianne. The woman lay passed out, sitting on the floor next to her sleeping bag and half leaning against the pole supporting the tent. It was a miracle that the whole thing hadn't collapsed.

"You didn't even change," Hilda murmured collapsing next to her, slipping a little to hard on her poor bum. 

Marianne's mission had been reconnaissance with a few other people under her command, it was nerve-wrecking and very dangerous business. No wonder she had conked out waiting for Hilda’s party to arrive.

She was still wearing the disguise they had picked a few days ago. They had decided she'd better forego her usual dress, it was a very beautiful piece that went well with Marianne’s complexion and  _ clearly _ belonged to a noble's daughter. Instead, to remain inconspicuous, she was dressed as a simple, poor, errand boy; a white shirt that had come untucked from some parts the brown itchy looking trousers. Her hair was frazzled coming out from under the farmer’s hat they had scavenged.

Hilda eye's flickered, perhaps a little guiltily, to the marred, porcelain skin that was partially exposed, just above her hip. She bit into her lip, pressing her ear against her knees as she groggily lifted to shirt to prod with her fingers on the ugly pinkish scar that sullied otherwise milky white skin. Her own rough, callous hands made a rather mesmerising contrast. She remembered well the day Marianne got that wound. It had been for her sake. Similarly many of her own scars had been to defend Marianne.

Hilda would deny the allegations however it was an unspoken truth that she looked out for her beloved friends and even more so for her Marianne, throughout the years, the changes they had gone through had made them almost unrecognizable. The lazy, laid back Hilda had become a reliable second in command, proactive and sometimes reckless in her charge to bring their company victory.

Some had speculated that this in turn had spurned Marianne to grow into a valiant and strong young woman - who had always been gifted in the magical arts - a pillar of support for other mages that looked up to her. She gained confidence to speak her mind, encouraging those around to even just try a little harder, throw themselves a little further in order to live. It was an amazing transformation, and Hilda had seen it happen day by day. She made sure her eyes were on Marianne, and eventually she noticed her own feelings evolving into love.

Marianne braved the monsters that haunted her every day so she could help the people who loved her unconditionally. She’d opened up to Hilda about her crest eventually after they became lovers and it was then that Hilda had realised just how many scars, invisible though they might have been to the naked eye, Marianne carried inside. They had festered throughout her childhood rendering her unable to believe she could do any good until she somehow found solace in the band of misfits she met at Garreg Mach. Even now that she had done so much good for their army, sometimes they resurfaced dragging her down to a blubbering mess within the confines of their room.

When Marianne had shielded Hilda from a mad knight wielding an axe, it had been eye opening just how much they meant to each other. They looked at one another for the strength to brave another day.

Rather childishly, she grabbed Marianne by the waist and pulled her towards the sleeping bag, landing haphazardly (and mostly) onto it. The woman didn’t completely wake up, thoroughly exhausted as she was. She made a soft, tired sound; half squeak, half groan and looked down seeing the bright pink crown of Hilda’s hair she thought nothing of it until she felt a ticklish sensation on her waist.

Marianne flushed adorably, she felt her whole body heat up to a boiling point from the spot where she stared, the very same Hilda kissed a few seconds ago. Her smug smile as she raised her head to grin at Marianne nearly had her heart burst out of her ribcage.

Her hand instinctively moved to cup Hilda’s face who gave a happy sigh as she leaned into the touch. It was in times like these that Hilda felt at her strongest, when she came back home to Marianne. It reminded her about all the reasons she could cling to in the heat of battle in order to not give in.

“Rough mission?” she asked, yawning unceremoniously and letting the wiggling Hilda settle into her embrace.

Hilda gave a dramatic huff, “Annoyingly so, I need to recharge darling,”

Marianne stroked her head gently, plucking a few loose strands and arranging them around her ear. In the same way that Hilda kept her all together, Marianne had the power to give Hilda the courage to face another day of death and fear. Everyone carried their own scars and the war would be a plague that would haunt them till death. However, they had to face it head on, they just had to. Both of them would not relinquish a peaceful life together, it was their new dream.

Hilda tried to focus on getting some much needed sleep ignoring fact that upon closing her eyes she would always see the faces of those she felled, gasping in horror as her axe came down on them. Marianne must have felt her tense, and as per what somehow became their nightly routine she stopped petting Hilda’s hair to place a peck on her forehead. With a peek Hilda saw the sadness of her own eyes reflected in her beloved’s visage and waited for the words that always warmed her heart thoroughly and kept the monstrous thoughts at bay.

“Welcome home Hilda, I love you,” she smiled tenderly and the sight made Hilda almost fight back the tears as her heart clenched, relief and joy at being back in her beloved girlfriend’s arms sometimes too much too bear.

“I’m back, love ya,” she sang, clearly worn out by more than just the everyday fighting. Her body relaxed naturally with the simple gesture of the goodnight kiss they shared between them. Soon enough they were both snoozing softly, hanging loosely to one another. Tomorrow was another day of struggles, and as long as they had one another, they would surely survive


	2. From Across the Battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne and Hilda meet after 5 years from across the battlefield  
> Day 2 prompt: jewelry/future/long distance

The smell of blood was so dense as the battle raged on that Hilda could almost taste it on her tongue. It was possible that it was her own blood that trickled in as she bit a little too hard at her lower lip, and the nausea wasn’t just because of it but the fact that she was certain she saw  _ her _ .  _ She _ flitted across the battlefield with magic rippling from her palms and into the chest of the people of her motherland. Hilda hadn’t been as prepared to see this as she thought over the years she had to come to terms with the fact Marianne deserted them, left her behind.

The last time she had seen Marianne had been the very night Edelgard had fled with her class in tow, the ones they now called the Black Eagle force. Five years, they were not as much of a long time as she thought. 

Five years ago, Marianne, shy, reserved and clumsy, who could barely look Hilda in the eye the first week they met had been able to meet her flabbergasted gaze with her own determined one when the hand on her wrist, stopping her from fleeing with Byleth’s class, turned out to belong to her very best friend (and not so secret crush) Hilda.

At the time, they had never talked about their blossoming feelings tiptoeing around the subject as if it was a hornet’s nest, and it was a shock after another that made them even more reluctant to act. Truthfully, Hilda was smitten with Marianne even before she (and Marianne herself) noticed the girl reciprocated.

Marianne had transferred to the Black eagles a few months back yet it didn’t bother her much at first as nothing had essentially changed between them. Hilda had a mind to follow her, interested as she was in the rookie teacher who surprisingly knew just how to develop the skills of the class they were in charge. She never really asked why Marianne had accepted the offer from Byleth and Edelgard, and it nagged her for awhile, instead of acting on that terrible foreboding feeling, Hilda had squashed her curiosity and let fate take its course naturally. 

Year after year, she had wondered if she had voiced her concern, would it have changed anything? Would she have not needed to stop her?

“Where are you going!?” Hilda had a panicky squeak to her tone, she remembered it clearly and it was still a little embarrassing. Marianne didn’t try to fight back against the tight grip on her wrist.

“I want a world without crests, if there is any hope for me and the future I want, it cannot be in this world dominated by bloodlines and powers,” she said bitterly, her eyes started to water and she tried to blink back the tears. She fully understood what this meant, and even if Hilda stopped her she wouldn’t listen. The moment she left Garreg Mach, her title would be forfeit, her adoptive father shamed and former friends would become enemies. “I want a world where I can choose you without fearing my crest could ruin everything,”

Hilda’s mind couldn’t keep up, her grip relented and in a second she was staring at the blurry image of Marianne’s receding back just seconds after she confessed her love for Hilda too as she ran after her dreams without even waiting for a reply. Her crest? What had she meant? Why couldn’t she just talk it out with her? Hilda’s howl of pure sorrow rang across the night sky as she shriveled down onto her knees weeping in complete, dumbfounded hurt.

The distance between them at that very second had felt the largest gulf even when compared to living across dividing borders. She didn’t know if Marianne could hear her, but for a second she could have sworn she heard a sound that echoed her own grief.

Hilda never stopped thinking about the gentle girl that should have become a mere bittersweet memory of youth. She remembered how she smiled, a little thing at the time when Hilda came up to sit by her for lunch, how she could speak to animals almost as if she understood them and would comment absentmindedly to Hilda about Dorte’s day. The lazy afternoon tea times they shared, the dusty books falling upon their heads as Marianne had one of her more ditzy moments, the laughter that brought them closer and closer together. Hilda had thought she was the person that Marianne confided to the most (if not the only one) and she supposed she had been clearly mistaken. She sought answers from Margrave Edmund a year after their separation. The conversation they had that evening, she kept to herself for another four years, not even Claude had been privy to what she learned.

‘ _ Why? _ ’ she cried in her heart of hearts as she followed the streak of blue, striking down enemies with one swoop of her axe, dreading what’s to come but wanting it more than anything in her life,  _ “‘Why?! _ ” She was panting hard when she came to a stop just as the mage turned around, the bewildered expression she gave Hilda turning almost immediately into a melancholic smile. 

“Hilda,” she whispered feeling like she was in a dream, and Hilda instinctively reached up to her chest, where the necklace she had never been able to give Marianne, the one that would have helped her confess all those years ago, she still kept dangling as a reminder of what was to come. This very instance.

Hilda’s anger deflated, they were finally face to face again after so long and the emotion hit her like a demonic beast ramming into her head on. She wasn’t even sure what exactly she was feeling, just that it was  _ too much _ to handle. Marianne had her hair tied up in a cute braid, the black circles under her eyes were gone and her overall posture was much more composed. She radiated strength and skill from every pore of her body. The hunched, fretty kid she remembered was nothing but a memory now and that left her speechless, almost distraught by how much they had missed separated from one another.

Hilda heaved her relic up, letting its weight push down on her shoulder. “It’s...been too long,” she replied sadly. Although small talk was always her forte, Hilda was not in the mood for it, she asked almost accusingly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Marianne’s eyes widened at the query, she knew exactly what Hilda was referring to, or so she seemed to think, “That I bear the crest of the beast? The shunned Maurice? How could I?” Marianne laughed bitterly, “I always felt like a freak, undeserving but I never wanted to become one in your eyes, I wanted to be more for you,”

Hilda shook her head squeezing the little Dorte she had crafted into a jewel enough to make the pain will her to utter her very next words, “Why didn’t you tell me to come with you?”

Marianne blinked, apparently flabbergasted at the notion of asking such a thing. The world around them was a mess of cries, weapons crashing and soldiers lunging at one another. They all knew better than to get in the way of two relic users, the sword at Marianne’s hip was creaking eerily in its sheath. In response, her axe seemed to jump in her grip.

“You would never leave your family, your friend, and liege,” Marianne murmured so softly, Hilda almost didn’t catch it, it was only because they inched closer to one another with every word that she caught her reply. The tip of her nose almost touched Marianne’s chin, when did she have the time to grow so tall? Arguably, Hilda had not grown at all in the height department since their school days, it wouldn’t stop her from appearing intimidating anyway.

“And you’re allowed to?” she snapped, rather crossly.

“I did it for my parents Hilda, this crest is a curse that has hurt my family for years,” Marianne growled at the ground, her fist bunching up, “I...want you to understand, I just want to free Maurice’s descendants,”

“Guess there’s no other way than to fight, if that’s your choice, don’t regret it now,” Hilda turned her back to Marianne taking a few steps before thrusting her axe, pointing it tips to the chest of the target of her affection. For all her swagger, her heart still belonged to the woman before her. “You’re were right, I can’t let down Claude or my brother,”

Marianne’s hurt mirrored her own from that night all those years ago, she didn’t cry out. Instead she placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, swallowing down her resurfacing insecurity.

“I...didn’t want it to end like this,” Marianne said truthfully, what she most desired was being Hilda’s equal before confessing her love. Now that she was, even when they could see their own feelings reflected in each other’s eyes, all that they could to meet each other was clash their relics against one another.

This was the opposite of everything she ever dreamed of and yet she could only continue to fight for her ideals. Stopping now would be an insult to their feelings, her brethren and her own resolve. And unbeknownst to the opponents standing in front of them, the two heartbroken women both sent the very same silent plea to Sothis, that in their next life, they would find each other again and live a peaceful humble love with no regret.


	3. Nighttime Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 Prompt: flowers/horse ride/fairy tale
> 
> Summary: Marianne shares her secret place with Hilda.

As a child, and a nobleman’s daughter, though everybody expected the fantasy of a prince charming carrying her off on a white horse into the sunset would be Hilda’s top priority, that kind of deserve had….never quite taken hold of Hilda like it did the children of other counts, dukes and other noble whatnots. She preferred the nice quiet chambers of her house, where she was allowed to tinker freely with her beads and strings imagining a new line of jewelry of her own creation. 

So when she was woken up by a little knock in the night she never dreamed that she’d live such a fantasy.

“Trust me, Dorte is a sweetheart!” Marianne had assured her extending a hand in invitation, with uncharacteristic confidence to add. She knew Professor Byleth had pushed the girl to build up her equestrian skills, she wondered what was exactly going on in their head when they say shy, ditzy Marianne and entrusted her to fight on a horse. It was difficult to wrap her mind around the newbie who took over their class. Though she was glad somebody else saw how talented Marianne was.

Granted, the way Marianne seemed to speak to animals and understand their needs was nothing short of magical. Nonetheless, becoming a knight was a little different than taking care of a few pets, however odd some might be and many made fun of the choice. There were whispers by other students but one glare from Hilda and they soon shut their mouth. And in a few weeks, Marianne’s own hard work kept those bullies in their place, quickly rising to the top ten in the class.

Funnily enough whereas Marianne was clumsy in the most menial tasks and Hilda usually had to help her sort things out. In this situation, it was Hilda that was hopeless. She had already tried to convince Byleth to change her to a wyvern class or any other riding class. When Byleth relented allowing her a trail, she barely could keep herself upright on the saddle.

“Marianne, it’s the middle of the night!” Hilda whispered rubbing her hands over her arms, though it had been rather exciting to follow her girlfriend out to the stables, it didn’t stop the night from being quite chilly. Marianne never broke the rules, their curfew was long past, so of course Hilda would indulge Marianne when she lived a little.

What she didn’t expect to see was Dorte all geared up for a ride, with a happy whinny as she saw her friend was back with company. The mare turned her head so she could push her nose into Marianne’s hand and happily snorted as her mane was stroked appreciatively. With a trained motion, Marianne was already halfway up swinging her leg over deftly and settling comfortably into the saddle.

Hilda stared at the hand in front of her first and bit her lower lip still a little reluctant. 

“It’s ok Hilda, Dorte is very good with rookies, and you just need to hold onto me, you won’t need to do anything,” she encouraged her sweetly seeing Hilda lost in thought, missing the whole point of her small fear of falling off a moving horse. As always Marianne having so much faith in Hilda made her want to put in a little effort.

_ ‘If it means so much to her, besides... _ ’ Hilda gave a sigh and smiled up taking Marianne’s hand and allowing her to help her up the beast - goddess was a horse always so high up? ‘ _ Marianne would never let me get hurt,’ _ she chanted to herself which gave her the courage she needed, and her own curiosity tipped the scales in favour of following the other’s plan.

“You just need to keep your hands around me at all times,” Marianne made it sound simple enough, she grabbed Hilda’s wrists gently pulling them without putting a lot of force in her grip, Hilda’s arms were carefully positioned around Marianne’s waist.

Hilda was a little surprised at the gesture considering Marianne was never touchy feely, although, she wasn’t about to complain when Marianne got daring. Feeling uncertain didn’t stop Hilda from taking a bit of advantage from the situation, placing her chin on Marianne’s shoulder and snuggling closer to her as the girl got ahold of the reins and made sure everything was in order. Hilda braced herself for the ride, closing her eyes a little as she heard the flick of the reins and felt Dorte buck a little before moving.

They started at a slow trot helping Hilda feel safe enough to get used to the ride and open her eyes. They ended up using the entrance messengers on horseback would travel through in or out of the monastery to deliver urgent news or calls. Somehow Marianne knew the pattern of patrol the knights would take and managed to slip them out without anybody noticing, the guard by the door didn’t seem very pleased but Marianne assured him they’d be back very soon. Hilda quirked a brow without a word of her surprise.

“He used to be employed by my adoptive father,” she explained, seeing how Hilda remained silent (which was very unlike her) when their adventure didn’t end up short lived, “He owes him this new job, and we’re not really going far,”

“Look at you, using your connections,” Hilda poked her rather proud of what she had witnessed right then. Marianne chuckled grabbing the hand and shot her a look that chided her, so for now, snuggling into Marianne the pink haired girl behaved,

Clicking her tongue to set a brisker pace, Dorte responded to her rider’s command by shifting into a fast trot and Hilda nearly yelped gripping like a vice at Marianne’s clothes and hiding her face in her neck. Marianne always had a peculiarly soothing scent, something sweet and sort of reminded her of hay at the same time - probably because she always spent so much time at the stables. It was so soothing to Hilda she’d always find an excuse to be clingy within a set limit that didn’t get Marianne uncomfortable.

A tap on her hand had her glance a little from her hiding place, Marianne looked rather concerned, “I’m sorry we’ll soon be there should I slow down?”

Hilda shook her head finding that she was adapting to the pace and as Marianne had said, it was much easier being a passenger. “No, you just took off a little too fast, I’m all good now.”

Actually looking around at their surroundings, the thrill of the ride wasn’t so nerve wrecking when she knew she wasn’t going to fall off if she kept on holding onto her girlfriend. It was even a little romantic, maybe her childhood self had been mistaken about those fairy tales and riding into the horizon with their lover.

_ ‘Marianne’s much better than any old prince,’ _ she thought amusingly.

At first it seemed the mare was taking them downwards towards the little village by the foot mountain that Garreg Mach was built on. However after an initial trail downwards, Hilda figured they were just going around the monastery and actually went a little way back up. It was a path that was big enough for one or two horses to go through however a whole regiment wouldn’t make it. And the zigzagging and turns they took confused Hilda enough that she was a little concerned that they might be a little lost.

“Here we are,” Marianne took a deep breath of fresh, cold night air holding a hand out to fend away any stray branches, “Dorte showed me this place, it’s spectacular,”

Hilda sucked in air at the splendor before her. The trees had slowly given way to an open pasture on what appeared to be a cliffside, it had plenty of room for Dorte to graze. However the most outworldly sight was of the flowers that shined beneath the light of the full moon in its very same ethereal glow. They grew along the tip of the edge of the hill, which she didn’t fancy looking down from, they had plenty of room away from that precipice to admire the flowers since they reached just about where they stood by the entrance to the small forest. 

“I don’t know what they’re called, maybe we could ask Ashe or somebody else,” Marianne admitted, feeling rather sheepish that her shyness had gotten the better of her, “They only glow under the full moon, and they kind of help me think clearly especially when I’m feeling down,”

“It’s all so  _ beautiful _ ,” Hilda gasped, as Marianne slid off Dorte holding onto the reins and making sure to keep her steady for Hilda to jump off. “I can’t believe this is your secret place, are you sure you wanted to show this to me?”

“Why should I have not?” Marianne quirked a brow, looking left to right as if expecting company. Her face turned beet red, as she gave her reason, “You’re my favourite person,”

Hilda’s smile widened at the adorable display of affection, she jumped in the moment and quite literally vaulted herself at Marianne wrapping her arms around her neck and held tight into a bear hug. Marianne laughed innocently as Hilda peppered her face with kisses, clearly her intent of making her girlfriend happy had paid off.

“Oh Mari, you’re my favourite person too,” she giggled encouraged by the tittering Marianne, taking the other’s hand into her own. It was the closest thing to ‘I love you’ that they had ever come close to, and it sent her on cloud number nine. “So this is where you run off to huh? Show me around?” 

_ ‘Baby steps, Hilda, _ ’ she reminded herself rather pumped up, the exhaustion leaving her completely as she took in her wonderful surroundings. They had all the time in the world to get to know each other better after all.

Letting Marianne pull her around excitedly for a bit as she pointed out the flora and fauna she did know about they finally settled on the grass with the fluorescent flowers all around them. Stargazing as they whispered sweet nothings to one another, Hilda just about decided as she was nearly dozing off, that Marianne was definitely the prettiest flower of all.


	4. Cheer up!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 Prompt: modern au/soulmates/comfort
> 
> Summary: College life was the best of the best for popular and charismatic Hilda Valentine Goneril, or so everybody thinks. Except Marianne who can see right through her

Hilda’s life was perfect. No,  _ really! _

Her father was one of richest people in the Leicester Alliance, not counting Claude whose grandfather ran the country (or Dimitri and Edelgard who were similarly children of influential politicians in the same position but who cares!), she was the most famous person in the school. The daughter of the CEO of the companies that owned t.v. stations, fashion editorials, and all the other big showbiz mumbo jumbo basically had his logo stamped on it was bound to sour through life on the strongest set of wings possible. Her brother was on the way to carry on the family legacy which gave her an extra edge.

She had no right to complain, not that she had any of those to share. Truly!

Her school life was most definitely the best! Students flocked to help her out, if she missed a lecture there were notes on her desk the next morning. How could she be so rude to refuse their help! Her grades were pretty much all A’s or B’s, it was going to be a piece of cake to graduate. She might not be a genius like her brother, it was fact, it didn’t mean she didn’t thrive in class. She had a good head on her shoulders.

So what if this term had been a bit tough? So what if she’d gone a little below her usual average, all B’s was still a good enough report to bring home, enough to celebrate with a little something extra for the week! The honeydew bubble tea that was sold in the little stall at the campus cafe which they’d set up a few months after they enrolled was to die for. Easy access whenever she needed.

Which was why she was now chewing at the straw in boredom, Hilda had spent about…

_ ’What is the time anyway?’  _ she thought glancing at her phone and tapping the screen. The lock screen alerted her that she had been lazily flicking at the remaining half of her drink for about 40 minutes. She shoved the thing back in her bag.

_ ‘Ugh’ _

“What the hell am I doing?” she grumbled before noticing a pair of eyes on her. In a trained motion she was waving with her fakest poker face and the most pleasant smile at a boy in her class. It was still satisfying to see she still had a mystifying effect on people she knew as he slammed into the edge of a table just so he could keep waving.

She had it all, she shouldn’t let her father’s words get to her.

_ ‘Your brother had always had straight A’s at your age, are you taking this seriously Hilda?’  _ his stern voice was still bouncing around inside her skull. The way he clicked his tongue almost as if he disapproved, she couldn’t take it, her hand instinctively gripped the plastic cup tighter nearly squashing her half empty cup of tea. The lecture that followed had been the latest attempt to get her to try harder. Why? Her brother Holst was someone she knew she could never reach, Hilda had her own view for her future, she shouldn’t go for the impossible. Even Holst kept on insisting she catch up as if he was trying to shove the inheritance down her throat.

“Are...are you okay, Hilda?” a shy voice called out to her. Hilda stopped blazing a whole with her eyes at a spot on the table and turned around to see Marianne von Edmund, gripping at the strap of her bag that hung loosely from her shoulder. She seemed just as much a fish out of water as she was in their freshman year.

“Oh! Hey there! Finished for the day?” she smiled sweetly, a tad more than usual to hide the very small, smidge of frustration she had to admit she was feeling. It wasn’t healthy to bottle up.0

“Yes, we don’t start practice again till next week, we’ll be tackling big animals like horses this semester,” she explained, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes at the grinning Hilda. “You’re not okay,” she pointed out in the next breath, leaning in a little too close until she noticed just before their noses touched and her eyes sprang open,”S-sorry!”

Hilda raised her brows in surprise at the embarrassed Marianne, her words and her rather bold actions. Hilda was the clingy type in their relationship most of the time, “It’s no biggie, you can be so weird Marianne, I’m alright I swear, must be tired from running around all day.” Which wasn’t necessarily a lie, her lectures were all over the place this semester.

Marianne recovered slightly her cheeks settling for a cute peachy colour and she was nowhere near looking convinced by her fellow student’s excuse eyeing the drink in Hilda’s hand a little suspiciously, “Honeydew?”

“Yeah, good guess, want some?” She chimed quirkily, offered the cup to Marianne only for the girl to grab her wrist and give her this sad expectant look, as if she was hurt. Maybe Hilda should be a little more honest, telling her her dad’s words did bother her...just a tad. After a few seconds of staring at each other, when even Hilda was starting to feel self conscious and the heat rose up to the tip of her head, Marianne gave a determined nod.

“Come with me, please,” she said with no further detail to what she had planned instead she tugged at Hilda’s arm who wobbled to her feet and managed to grab her own bag from where it was hanging on her chair. The action nearly had her tripping after the marching Marianne.

“M-Mari? Hold on, I’m coming,” she grunted as her foot got stuck to the chair she was sitting on causing her blunder. Thankfully, her balance checked out and she heaved a sigh of relief, following the other girl outside the cafe and along a path she didn’t recognize.

Marianne was studying to be a veterinary, they had met by chance sharing the same club (obligatory as it was she had to begrudgingly thank her stars or else they’d never have met) and had made it a point to meet up for a coffee every now and then between classes. Her adoptive father was a business partner of Hilda’s father whose curiosity won over even though they could not be any different. Hilda on the other hand was a social sciences student who had a knack for crafts that involved anything to be handmade like jewellery, recently she had been thinking about knitting. Marianne liked the idea of creating something from scratch though her results varied and her first rather loopy creation had caught Hilda’s eye who decided to help out her fellow artisan. She’d found the way Marianne spoke softly and blushed so easily so cute that Hilda started to look out for her.

A sign informed her that she was nearing the Veterinary Science buildings which explained why she didn’t know the area. Marianne took a turn into the garden behind the stables taking her to a patch of woods that rarely had human visitors. Garreg Mach University was so enormous, lush and green it was easy to get lost. 

“Here, look!” Marianne pointed to the foot of a large tree where Hilda could make out something that looked like a burrow. “They’re out playing today,”

“Oh. my. Gosh.” Hilda exclaimed finally catching the small poofs of red bouncing around, the fluffy looking tails waving in the air, the very tip of which were turning a darker brown, not yet the characteristic shade an adult fox tail would have.

Marianne snorted softly at her reaction crouching down to their level. The mother’s ears flickered dangerously, it made an odd bark sniffing around and growling until Marianne waved her over. 

Hilda whistled as the canine stopped to raise its head and instead of attacking, came to greet her like a friend. Her little ones soon followed seeing as their mother deemed it safe and didn’t tell them to run. Marianne let the mother and her kits sniff at her hand, one by one the little ones tackling each other pushing their brothers and sisters so they could lick at the fingers offered to them. They knew who she was!

_ ‘That’s adorable!’ _ Hilda gave a small happy gasp.

Marianne raised her free hand to pull at Hilda’s skirt for attention and motioned with her finger to ask for something. Hilda frowned, slowly placing her hand in Marianne’s open palm as one of the little balls of fluff sniffed at her ballerina shoes. She felt a pull on her arm and looked back down at her friend.

“Come on, we rescued these little guys and their mother from a trap a few weeks ago,” Marianne said, as they nipped giddily at her fingers without hurting her, “They won’t bite, at least not to hurt on purpose,”

Hilda sighed kneeling down next to her, she knew about what everybody said about, how Marianne had a gift. A weird talent. She was jokingly referred to as Animal’s Best Friend, around campus but it was true, the way she understood what animals wanted was uncanny almost as if they told her themselves. Hilda had snapped at the jealous bastard one too many times when they picked on her.

Gently, and without scaring the kits - or perhaps Marianne didn’t want to startle Hilda who tensed - she put her hands on top of Hilda’s and showed it to them. “She’s my friend,” she told them as if they could understand human speech.

“Oh,” Hilda giggled as soon as she felt the first rough tip of a fox tongue followed by the other. The cute noises they made had her completely entranced and laughing along. They soon got bored of their audience, small and adventurous as they were so the kits left to play around in the autumn leaves that had fallen, jumping around and play-biting one another. The mother yawned lazily, sprawled by the entrance of their home as she looked over them for any signs of danger.

“We thought they’d leave but it seems they like it at Garreg Mach,” Marianne said watching Hilda smiling dreamily at the scene before her, her chin on her arms. They were just too cute for words. She’d brave a few more minutes crouched even as her thighs protested so she’d get to look at them a bit more from up close.

“They’re beautiful,” Hilda cooed as they rolled around on top of each other.

Marianne grinned, nudging their shoulders together, “I’m glad you feel better,”

Hilda nearly spluttered, remembering the conversation at the cafe, “Huh, how did...I mean, I told you, i’m just tired,”

“You always take bubble tea when you’re a bit down,” she countered, inquisitive with her cheek pressed against her knuckle.

Hilda chuckled nervously, with a huff she tried to play it cool, “You know how professor Hanneman can be demanding,”

Marianne furrowed her brows, looking rather perplexed, “Hilda you have Professor Hanneman’s class on Tuesdays, it’s Friday,”

“Well, okay, it’s against my diet but Ii could be just taking one for fun,” she shrugged turning her head to glare at rock on the opposite side. That was a good rock to stare at. Especially since her whole defensive argument just crumbled.

“Not Honeydew, that’s your pick me up flavour, you told me,” Marianne whispered soothingly, her arm wove around Hilda and she carefully gripped her shoulder. Squeezing just a little to get back her attention.

It was such a shock to be seen through so clearly Hilda almost had no rebuttal. The perfect one formulated in her mind, after all she always had a way with words so with a little final push she willed herself to look Marianne in the eye and... _ choked. _ Her head might have been in control, her body had other plans.

Marianne’s tender expression made her blank completely, her defenses had been so paper thin she didn’t notice how loudly she hiccuped as soon as she felt the hand running through the side of her head and stroking her cheek. Her boy moved along with the pull and welcomed the shoulder she dug her face in and started sobbing uncontrollably into. Her whole charade broke down with the most innocent of gestures, and all her built up frustration rolled out of her with the sound of wails smothered into a pretty sky blue cardigan. Even though she knew she was fine, there was nothing so wrong, it was all too much to handle anymore now that somebody she trusted noticed her declining state of mind.

“It’s okay, you’re gonna be just fine,” Marianne murmured sweetly in her ear, rubbing soothing circles in her back, “I’m here for you,”

The pups whined alarmed by the distraught sounds coming from their new friend. Hilda could feel their wet noses on her legs and took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself. Marianne didn’t stop whispering encouragement until the sobs finally died down completely and she stopped trembling in the embrace they were sharing.

“Great, I just messed up my makeup,” she groaned lifting her head and plopping her forehead against Marianne, she managed a very small, albeit much more relaxed and natural smile. “Thank you, I didn’t even know I needed it so much, I just...everything was too much to handle lately, and I was being silly and unwilling to admit it wasn’t under control,”

“Midterms were tough,” Marianne commented with a nod, before getting on to the real point that afflicted them, “And our father’s don’t really get that, mine tries you know but...he’s still very conscious of...us.” Marianne had it harder, being adopted meant she had certain walls to break down along with the expectations father’s tended to carry.

“Yeah, I was just being silly, I’m sorry,” Hilda apologized her head hanging a little until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Don’t be, cheer up, you’re amazing Hilda,” she smiled so brightly it was a little difficult to look at such radiance. Marianne rarely gave such a gleaming expression and it was stunning. Hilda already felt infinitely better than she had been all morning.

“Well then thank you, you’ll at least let me offer you some tea and cake for the trouble right?” she gave her a wink loving the way it flustered her every time. Marianne gave a curt shy nod as Hilda sprang up to her feet and helped her up as well. “We can come visit the little ones with some snacks some other time again can’t we?”

“Oh, yes,” Marianne patted her skirt clean from the soil, branches and all of Mother Earth’s gifts that just loved to cling to clothes. Hilda caught a leaf stuck to her hair and blew it away. It made a crunching sound in her hands, yellow and dry it fell to the ground as soon as Hilda flicked it with barely a flutter. There wasn’t much of a breeze between the trees.

“I’ll talk to my dad again later, he probably didn’t mean to sound so tough,” Hilda confided suddenly, she had an inkling her stress had probably exaggerated his words in her mind. And if that wasn’t the case, she had someone she could rely on for a quick pick me up session. 

“And if he’s a big meanie,” Hilda slapped her hand against Marianne’s lower back chuckling at the yelp she gave, “I know who to call to console poor little me don’t I?”

Marianne coughed in her hand unused to being relied on, rubbing with the back of the other the sore spot where she had been hit. Hilda actually trained hard to keep her figure and she had just felt all the fruits of her workout on her back. “Y-yeah of course, you can count on me!” it was a nice sensation to be counted on, she decided.

‘ _ Especially if I can be helpful to Hilda,’ _ she thought a little dense to how much exactly she liked her best friend, for the moment, she was perfectly unaware of how much they meant to one another.

Hilda beamed squishing the taller girl to her side and wondering if there ever would be a better time to confess. If she’d gone out of her way to bring Hilda all the way around the school in hopes of cheering her up. There was hope for Hilda’s crush to be fulfilled, wasn’t there? 

_ ‘To think that I, one of the most popular girl’s on campus, would be the one confessing, _ ’ she thought to herself side glancing at the soft spoken frazzled beauty who seemed to be rubbing her particularly red ears in an embarrassed habit. Yep, Hilda was certain Marianne was a catch worth throwing all that nonsense away for.


	5. Found Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: family/goddess tower/beast
> 
> Summary: After a gruesome battle with a demonic beast that seemed keen to slaughter Marianne, Hilda is given a rather shocking surprise.   
> [What if Marianne was a fluffy looking descendant to the Nabateans.]

“Hilda, Hilda, Hilda!!” a voiced huffed in between haggard breaths, stomping in a hurry up the steps. It wasn’t the one she wanted to hear, “There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

It would have been shocking to anybody else to see Claude’s second in command in such a state of disarray. Dirty, covered in blood that was thankfully not her own and with a haggard look about her that said more about the ordeal she went through than the reports they’d have to file later. Hilda raised her head drowsy and bummed out. From where she was sitting leaning with her back against the wall it was chilly and damp just like her mood, even so, she had nearly dozed off, groggily peeking out from above her arm. She had a clear view of the stairs leading up to the room where she had found some peace and quiet. At least, a relic of her school days had remained, nobody really went to the goddess tower unless seeking privacy.

Ignatz was still covered in the grime and blood of the wolves and demonic beasts that had sniffed them out on the sudden mission led by Byleth and to everybody’s surprise; Marianne. He obviously wasn’t fairing any better than she was, both just couldn’t get into the mood of sprucing up. She was just trying to absorb everything that had happened and ended up even more confused, morbid thoughts still swimming in her head as she fell asleep.

Waking up early morning for a random trip in some foggy, smelly and humid place that did a number on her hair had not been a very fun thing. It was fine by her as long as Marianne got what she needed, she had concluded, it was rare that she asked for something so why stop her? Byleth hadn’t specified that it was for her sake, however the way she fidgeted around making sure everybody was in tip top shape, the extra apology here and there and the return of those awful bags under her eyes pretty much gave away her state of mind. It involved Marianne directly.

When Hilda had tried to press her, and she usually got what she wanted with a bat of an eyelash and a cute smile to boot from the others, she wouldn’t use it with Marianne unless she was pressing her to spend some time together. Hilda had her needs too. They had a genuine relationship of trust, or so she had thought. Other times the woman would fluster at Hilda’s clinginess and with a soft sigh give in, this time she shook her head sadly, a terrified look in her eyes.

_ ‘I’m sorry, I just can’t,’ _ she said, eyes darting here and there without ever landing on Hilda.

And that was that. Hilda had stood mouth gaping at the retreating figure of her crush wondering if for the first time in her life she had made a wrong move and caused a rift between them. It was her first love, it was precious and was driving her absolutely insane. It was part of the thrill most of the time; getting a smile out of Marianne, watching her become more expressive throughout the years, Marianne von Edmund was unlike any other person who caught her eye, genuine and complex, even if she needed a little cheering up now and then.

“Oh it’s just you Ignatz,” she pouted horribly disappointed, Marianne should have come for her by now, they would have talked and it all would’ve been peachy again. Instead she ended up falling asleep in the worst possible posture, alone and she realised her neck was killing her as her senses sharpened to a nearly awake state. She made an attempt to stretch it and lessen the soreness. The cracking of her back bones might have indicated she was getting older. What a somber thought.

“The professor,” he stopped to actually catch his breath taking in gulps of air. Hilda noted he was a little more skittish than usual which caused her to give him a worried look, she was more alert to his next words, “They told me to come fetch you, Marianne said you’d be here but she…” he chewed slowly trying to find the right words to convey what he knew without alarming her which in turn made her feel even more like a deer in the headlights. The way he went about it giving a pause just made the situation difficult to relax in anyway, “She kind of can’t make it right now,”

Hilda sprang up to her feet and the blur that was their second in command made the poor man jump in shock until he was literally lifted (nearly) off the ground and shaken with questions bombarding him and no time to answer them.

“What happened?” Hilda started frantically with a jolt to the poor artist in her arms

Hilda sucked in a breath as her imagination got the better of her, “Is she hurt? I saw her limping and she said it wasn’t that bad. That she needed to be alone,” Biting her lips she continued with a whine, “Oh Goddess she is badly injured isn’t she?”

Ignatz nearly cried out, stammering due to being manhandled and feeling sorry for all the times he had gone fishing with Rapheal, this must be what hanging from a hook could feel like. “Whoa, whoa Hilda, not exactly, physically she’s fine and, uh, sort of not,”

Hilda squinted letting go of him seeing how he was squirming and furrowing her brow, “Come again?”

“Uh, you’d better just…go to the stables, they’re there, just know that she’s fine healthwise,” he laughed nervously before giving her a quick bow, a pat on the shoulder and running off. Not quite sure how to be of encouragement to the confused Hilda.

Hilda didn’t need to be told twice, all her muscles were aching from extended combat, she willed them to pump out a little more effort for the night as she sprinted all the way from the goddess tower across the bridge and towards the garden knowing to take a shortcut. She knew where the keys to the gates were but they hadn’t been locked yet with all the commotion so at least she could just weave straight through.

She burst into the stables tripping on her legs and came to a halt hitting Byleth in the back with her head. Rubbing her forehead she met their teacher’s unusually concerned looking eyes.

“Where is Ma- Oh, MY GODDESS,” Hilda semi shrieked grabbing the professors arm gaping at the creature in front of them. The beast gave a huff, hay and dust flying as the puff of air from the nostrils sent them in a flurry.

“Hush! There’s wounded soldiers sleeping all around,” Flayn got up to her feet from where she was almost hidden by the waist of the beast and she was still pretty much visible up to her eyes. The thorax was bandaged, lightly coloured pink from lost blood. How strange Marianne had been holding her side when they came back. The thought flitted across Hilda’s mind without really being of much importance at first.

The creature moved slowly upon hearing her voice, shifting on its stomach. It’s giant head turning towards her and Hilda’s grip on Byleth’s arm grew strong enough to make them wince. Something told her not to scream and she examined the bear like head in earnest. The elongated muzzle was concerning especially how the large pink tongue wove over the sharp jagged teeth inside. 

“Marianne!” Hilda gasped, she’d recognize those gentle grey eyes, on one part frightened and on the other brightening upon seeing who came to visit her.

The wolf-bear, she called it for now for the beast had buff forelegs and hind legs, and a big head resembling a bear but the leaner body of a wolf, shook it’s fluffy looking neck, with a deep sigh and a voice that sounded too feminine to be coming from a demonic beast greeted, Hilda, “Good, um, good evening Hilda.” It was way past evening and it was starting to turn into a very strange dream.

Byleth placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to explain, “She was examining the sword left behind by the demonic beast we fought, it suddenly just started to shine and it was all very similar to when Rhea became the immaculate one albeit...this wasn’t intentional,”

Hilda snapped pointing her finger under their chin, and turning to their Professor with inhuman speed, they thought they practically heard her whip around with how violent it was, “You mean the one sword in that smelly monster that seemed so keen to eat Marianne and somehow talked? What is going on?!

“Wait, Hilda, I asked them not to say anything,” it was almost mesmerizing looking at how her lips moved revealing the razor sharp and dagger-like structures. The muzzle tipped to a triangular snout with the protruding horn just before the tip of the thing. Two little stubs lined up behind it. It was so odd to see the resemblance with the demonic beast they had just fought to the death Hilda gulped involuntarily and felt her heart sink seeing Marianne flinch.

“I-it’s not so bad, at least you fit in the stables,” Hilda chuckled nervously trying to lighten the mood. 

Taking a look at the transformation, Marianne wasn’t as big as the beasts they fought. Barely more than two thirds of the size of the wolves, and about half that of the crazy rotting leader. 

“Of course not,” Flayn said matter of factly, with a puffed up cheek almost seemingly offended, “She’s a baby, she’s not adult sized yet,”

“Huh?” All eyes went on the small priestess as she ran the healing spell to completion.

Flayn seemed to bristle at the slip of the tongue, and thanked her stars the inquisitive Leader of the alliance wasn’t present to pester her, “I’m just assuming, she just looks like that beast, although unlike him, she’s smaller and healthier. No skeleton showing or rotting, decaying flesh or scales, but a nice soft layer of blue, luscious fur!” Flayn cleared her throat, “So I just thought… Actually don’t mind me blabbering I’m quite done, she just needs plenty of rest now,”

“We still need to see if we can get her back to normal, I’m assuming it’s not a curse from her bloodline then?” Byleth inquired to which Flayn replied with a shake of her head. 

“There’s no trace of a curse, not on her at least,” Flayn added. They were stumped on what to do next nonetheless.

“C-could you leave us please?” Marianne broke the awkward silence. “No use in trying to figure it out when we’re so tired, I’m not the only one that needs rest.” Flayn and Byleth looked at one another in anguish and nodded since they couldn’t come up with a protest. Marianne seemed more keen to talk to Hilda than turn back at the moment anyway. They closed the stable doors behind them and gave them their goodnight.

“So it’s really not a curse?” Hilda asked tentatively, hands clasped behind her back as she tilted her head to make sure she really was okay. The large puffy tail that had been motionless on the floor jolted and thumped against it nervously.

Marianne shook her head, “Not anymore than I was before, you see, that creature we fought was Maurice, the holder of the crest of the beast. The crest…” Raising her head the horn like structures caught Hilda’s eye, alabaster in colour. Their texture seemed like a black rocky structure, not very smooth and ending in a curved point. Her canine ears flickered downwards in fear pressing against her scalp, “The crest of the beast I also possess. This was bound to happen but…”

“There’s a but?” Hilda raised a hand to her head holding it in a silly, groggy attempt to keep all the information she was being given inside of it, “You knew about this?”

“I’m in control, I wonder if it’s the sword,” Marianne growled low in a strange beastly whisper. She sniffed the air around Hilda curiously, who in turn had stepped closer to her and pressed a hand near her nostril, “You’re not that surprised,”

“No, I didn’t really know, I just had an inkling something wasn’t quite right since our school days,” she raised her eyes to the ceiling hoping to see the human Marianne the next time she lowered her head. Alas...it could not be, and with her hand on the snout she shouldn’t have hoped.

“Oh, sorry, I…” Marianne sighed, trying to scoot as close as possible to Hilda as she could without alarming her. “I never really talked much about myself.” Her eyes darted about the stable, Dorte should have been asleep but there was a noise coming from his compartment, a brief snort as if to encourage his friend. It gave her a little peace of mind to be somewhere she was comfortable in.“My parent’s vanished when I was much younger, I think my Dad, my birth father must’ve succumbed to this,”

“Don’t apologize, and Marianne, you don’t have to tell me anything if it’s painful,” she said in an attempt to comfort, no matter how vain it was. Taking a few steps around her, crouching down and reaching up to caress her back. Flayn had done a good job sealing up the wound. Marianne touched by the action arched to gently nuzzle her cheek joyfully surprised when Hilda scratched behind her ear. 

“Thank you for telling me more about you,” Hilda murmured affectionately before raising her fist and bonking her carefully by the ear, “Next time I expect you to be honest about your injuries! I was worried you know!

“I’m very sorry,” the way she lowered her head and gave her a puppy eye look melted Hilda’s anger away.“Now I’m sure I want you to know everything I wonder why, it’s not too late is it?”

Hilda smiled down at her and shook her head, “ Of course not, I’m all ears, maybe we feel that way because we found a little bit of home in each other?”

“I’d like that,” her tail wiggled happily only to stop, it was easy to read marianne in this form, “Just, the thing is...thinking about forming a family together, it’s a bit...scary.” Marianne sighed and continued to confide her biggest worries, “I used to think it was something impossible for me or any other crest holders like me but now that Maurice rests in peace, and I know I can control this, maybe it’ll work out? I feel like my brethren will stop vanishing now, even if we might not be completely human as long as we have this crest,”

“For all it’s worth, you  _ do _ actually look majestic,” Hilda grinned letting her hand vanish into the fur of her neck, this made Marianne hide her muzzle under a great, chubby paw in a fluster. Becoming an incredible force of nature hadn’t cured her shyness. 

She still seemed a little jittery, Hilda hummed and gently prodded for her to speak up, “Everything alright?”

“Flayn said Maurice must have started out like this too, he just got...sick with the centuries passing,” Marianne said, trembling with the fur along her spine rising up with the fear of a future that might be, “I don’t want to end up like that, angry, lonely, hurt,”

Hilda sat down by her side pulling her head onto her lap and listening intently, her back leaning to a soft comfy shoulder, “You won’t you’ve got me,”

“I...I should've told you earlier,” She was about to apologize but seeing how cross Hilda seemed to become - she always insisted Marianne stopped apologizing for every little thing - she barely stopped herself in time and instead blurted out a squeaky, “Thank you Hilda,”

“Nothing to it, we just got to figure out how to get you back to human, I’ll love cuddling into a soft, good smelling overgrown blanket but I like hugging my girlfriend more,” she pressed a kiss just below one of the little stubs. “You’re so comfortable! I might get used to it,”

“You’re really not scared?” marianne, ever the worrywort whispered.

Hilda shrugged, “No, of course not, I trust you,”

“I really want to hug you, right now,” Marianne shyly murmured. Hilda nearly squealed and she wound her short hands to the best of her abilities around the thick furry neck. It was the squishiest thing she ever felt, and she would have been comfortable enough to doze off right there.

“Goddess, you’re still the most adorable,” she giggled especially elated when Marianne stuttered her name in embarrassment. She didn’t really know what they talked about after that, they spent a lot of time just...getting to know each other _ better _ this time around. No secrets to hold them down at arms length any longer.

In the morning, as the rays of the sun slithered through the holes of the wood and nearly blinded an angry Hilda, who grumbled at the realisation she was oddly rather cold, Hilda couldn’t remember when they’d actually succumbed to sleep. Getting up in a sitting position and leaning against her arms, her eyes wandered searching in vain for her fluffy girlfriend only to gasp at the sight of the girl mumbling in her slip, her arm still hanging on Hilda’s waist. She was so relieved she didn’t have time to care for their current sleeping quarters or that she was probably a mess.

She was about to shake sleeping beauty awake in her joy, however, seeing what an ordeal they just overcame had taken a toll over both of them, she decided to just gently check on her wound and let her sleep in. Laying back down on her side when she was certain the injury reopened or anything, lazily playing with Marianne’s hair, Hilda gazed down on her beloved waiting serenely for her to awaken in due time, enjoying the thought of seeing her cute reaction and wondering if a morning kiss would bring out that adorable blush of hers. 


	6. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 Prompt:dance/confession/tears
> 
> Summary: At the ball, Hilda waits for the right time in her plan to woo Marianne and let her loosen up a little for the perfect confession. If only she didn’t forget Marianne’s shyness.

It had all gone so smoothly not even the silkiest blanket her brother had gifted her could compare. Hilda had set up the most romantic possible confession ever seen in Garreg Mach’s history. She was certain nothing could come between her and the most glorious set up ever, there was no way she could fail even if her stomach was flopping insistently with the excitement of it all.

The White heron cup as expected gave the pump of adrenaline to all students even the most reserved, just what she needed - and although Dorothea of the Black Eagles had won much to the Golden deer’s disappointment though they came a close second - as Hilda had predicted everybody was bouncing with the energy such festivities created around them. Couples were forming by the second, Hilda didn’t mind, she had to be patient, it wasn’t the most opportune time yet and there was a script to follow. The first step was the academy ball, everybody had to wear their uniforms which was a shame, Hilda had enough gowns to sell to ten maiden filled villages back home and would’ve roped Holst to visit if need be.

It didn’t really matter, the formal uniform they were provided was elegant, fitted neatly to her body and emphasized all the goods to boot. Besides, they were allowed to accessorize if they wanted. All the students were bordering on the rule breaking to do so and catch the eye of their special someone, albeit a few exceptions which included the class leaders since they had to represent their Houses. It was funny how disappointed Claude had been not being able to give his own touch to his garbs.

Hilda even had a little surprise that afternoon in the form of a shocking visit from Lysithea.

The girl looking every bit of the child she was for once, stammered in uncharacteristic shyness, “I’d like to try and...change my style a little, nothing major! Just for fun!” 

She had blabbered every excuse as Hilda had invited her into her room practically squealing in excitement. By the time they had finished Hilda was genuinely touched with how happy Lysithea was with the final look, and it was time to make their way to the hall. 

Hilda loved events like these, people who normally didn’t speak to one another would come forward (courage gained by the ambience of fun and perhaps a drink or two helped the older students a little further). You could dance all night without being scolded, even the teachers loosened up and played along. What she didn’t expect was being nudged in the ribs by Lysithea who pointed to the retreating figure, pale blue hair bobbing in its usual braided style scurrying out of the room about an hour after the dancing started.

Her face fell in a panic, this wasn’t what she had planned and it must have been written clearly for everyone to read. Lysithea shrugged in the corner of her eye commenting, “It’s obligatory to attend, why else do you think she didn’t hide away with a crowd like this to look forward to? Marianne doesn’t like a lot of people in one place,”

The moment of silence as she gathered her thoughts was broken by a small growl and a kick to Hilda’s ankle. “Go after her, you had this whole thing planned out well boo-hoo, improvise, she’s worth going off script right?”

Hilda jumped back at Lysithea ardour for the whole thing especially when she stabbed her nose with a sharp poke with a finger. It was cute seeing her all angry, hand on her hip as she chided her senior. She quickly regained composure wondering how many knew of her romantic scheming and slapped a hard hand on Lysithea’s back, a little forcefully and maybe as much on purpose to retaliate for her aching foot. Being teased by a kiddo wasn’t fun as doing the teasing herself.

“Thanks Lys, you’re right,” she grinned watching her trip forwards with a startle and it only widened when she glared back and with a huff said, “Would you just go,  _ please? _ ”

With a smug wink Hilda ran off before she could be beaten anymore back into her confident self. Lysithea was right, it was no biggie, she just needed to take a leap of faith. 

Marianne was fast on her feet, it must have been that extra height she had on Hilda and if it weren’t for Claude flirting about with the professor and pointing towards the goddess tower she would have probably never caught up.

It was still early, not even midnight, so there wasn’t anybody around yet. Perfect for a private chat! Maybe she could turn this evening around for good and not all was lost as of yet. Climbing up the stairs in two, ignoring the ache in her side, she found Marianne huddled in a corner taking deep breaths and shielding her ears.

“AH…” she whipped a hand to her mouth on reflex making sure not to startle her, cursing her idiotic worry and for not noticing or even thinking about how distressed Marianne could be. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen her react so negatively, this was something she couldn’t help out with yet. It made her heart clench at how absolutely useless she was. If she acted she might make things worse, so she stayed put and watched fists clenched and eyes open for any sign that she could be of help. Marianne’s shivering slowly turned into small, far apart trembles and when she saw her lower her hands Hilda cleared her throat and announced herself.

“Is everything alright? It’s me Hilda,” she whispered as innocently as possible waiting for Marianne to turn around and come to her on her own. The poor girl gave her an uneasy smile immediately losing some tension knowing it wasn’t a stranger but Hilda and nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine now,” she laughed tiredly trying to lighten the mood which was so heavy it shackled their every move with fear and uncertainty.

Hilda felt a little blue seeing how the evening had turned for the worse for Marianne without her noticing. She wanted to rectify.

“Can I sit next to you?” she asked, noting the pallor - more than usual, she could tell - of the anxious girl’s when compared to her own skin. Marianne gulped and nodded again, and so here they were, under the romantic light of the moon, huddled into each other’s side as the taller girl was shielded from her nightmares by the tightly wound arm around her shoulders. 

Hilda pressed her temple against the crown of blue hair as Marianne adopted a near fetal position, hiding her face in the palms of her hand and resuming the breathing technique Manuela had showed her to try and calm down.

It had been awhile since the head an attack this strong, the amplified noises and sounds coupled with the crowd probably had the opposite effect on Marianne. While the other student’s could let loose, she had been forced into a situation that made her uncomfortable.

“Next time, tell me you’re feeling unwell, you didn’t need to stick around and make yourself sick,” she scolded, squeezing Marianne close against her.

“Sorry, you should be having fun at the feast not taking care of a mess like me,” she blubbered, voice muffled in her hands. Like a turtle getting over a fright she was coming back out of her shell and finally relaxing.

Hilda snorted at the thought, thinking back on her elaborate plan.  _ ‘Oh you have no idea, do you?’  _

Hilda patted her head to emphasize her words, “I’m right where I want to be, besides!” She grunted, slipping away from Marianne, the little pout absolutely adorable in Hilda’s eyes, and bounced on her feet running along with the sudden idea that sprung up in her mind, “We have a room all to ourselves for a little dance don’t we? The music is a little..,” she made a gesture with her hand implying it could stand to be better, “But what can you do, it’s a bit far to hear it well isn’t it?”

Marianne bit her lip, eyes darting from Hilda to her feet as she confessed, “I’ve never really danced with anybody, my father didn’t push me to learn so I...always ran away from invitations,” She blushed a deep red knowing she was probably the only noblewoman that had never bothered to practice her dance skills, “I couldn’t possible hurt you, what if I stepped on you?”

“Take it easy, I’m made of the tough stuff! Just leave it to me,” Hilda gave her a reassuring smile crouching down to her level, “Follow my lead, I’m the best dancer in the Alliance!”

Marianne tilted her head, eyes softening at the sweetness reserved just for her and finally relented holding out her hand for Hilda to take. This was the person who stuck to her no matter how gloomy she felt, she could trust her. “I actually always wanted to try,” she admitted, sheepishly.

Hilda beamed at her, pulling her along and guiding her to the center of the room. She helped her position her arms and took the leading role placing a hand on Marianne’s hip and the other on her shoulder, instructing her to do the same. She had to consider the height gap as well, “The other one goes around me, hold onto me, palm against my back,”

She would just take her through the simplest steps and hope Marianne enjoyed it. Nothing too complicated for their first time.

Hilda moved one step back and a second later, Marianne followed. At first, they were clumsy attempts at swaying rather than actual dancing and even though the music was barely audible, they could hear enough to know they were offbeat. It didn’t matter, it was exhilarating, they laughed at the missteps and clung to one another with the valid excuse of trying not to trip in each other’s feet. Marianne’s chuckles were a joy to hear.

“You really never learned?” Hilda murmured in her neck as they swayed lazily around after finally getting into the rhythm of a slow song that was easier to follow.

Marianne made a disgruntled noise and Hilda’s curiosity peaked, she glanced up from the corner of her eye at the taller girl who seemed a little uncomfortable, “I wasn’t in a good place...when my father adopted me, he didn’t push me out of my comfort zone, and then it just never came up again, I didn’t attend many parties anyway. Not until he sent me here,”

“Sorry!” Hilda grimaced, she didn’t mean to open a whole can of bottled up trauma and hurt. Losing her family must have been horrible for little Marianne, she was happy to hear her adoptive father did care for her wellbeing.

“It’s ok, it was a long time ago,” Marianne murmured in her hair, coughing a little at the awkward silence she quickly added, “This is nice,”

Hilda welcomed the change of subject and chuckled, eliciting a shiver as her breath tickled Marianne’s neck. There was a cute flush of pink from the skin of her neck to her cheeks and up to her ears.

_ ‘She’s too cute!’  _

“It is,” Hilda whispered blissfully, hugging her even tighter. It might have been the pleasant warmth of the moment, Marianne was like a portable heating unit and Hilda was blissfully toasty, drowning in the scent of dry hay and soap - Marianne was never a big fan of strongly smelling perfumes but was that a hint of lavender? - whirling around in unison without a care to listen to the music anymore. A bubbling sensation traveled from the pit of Hilda’s stomach and she expressed it in the only way she could think of.

“I love you,”

Hilda was surprised at how easily she said it without relying on her perfect plan to woe Marianne. It was nicely laid out nonetheless if she said so herself. However, after a minute, with no response she opened her eyes and with a scowl called out to her crush noting how oddly her shoulders trembled. “Mari?”

“GODDESS!” Hilda exclaimed focusing immediately on the tears flowing down Marianne’s cheeks and pressed the palms of her hands against her face, “Are you okay? Did I really shock you that much?”

Marianne shook her head the best as she could as Hilda’s thumb worked to catch the tears, they wouldn’t stop flowing so she couldn’t utter a single word in between hiccups.

“Okay, so I’m guessing this is a good kind of crying?” Hilda blew a breath of relief when Marianne nodded earnestly. “Of course it is, I’m such a catch,” she winked trying to ease the sudden tension and Marianne semi-sobbed and half-giggled as Hilda brought her closer and squeezed her into a crushing embrace.

“I just never thought I had a chance,” she said in such a soft, inaudible tone. Hilda only heard her because her lips were near her ear. Oh, she could be so infuriatingly cold to herself!

“Dummy, you should have more faith in yourself,” Hilda chided pushing her at arms length and grabbing her face again - this time pinching her cheeks. “Ugh, you’re such a handful!”

Marianne laughed into the gesture, grabbing her wrists and slowly her weeping started to cease until she was just breathing a little too rapidly. They were both grinning like fools at one another when they both settled down. Hilda pressed her fingers against reddened skin, caressing softly where she had pinched. Pulling down her foolish newly recruited girlfriend (an odd joke she got from Byleth that had her snort remembering it), she brought her lips to Marianne’s enjoying the wide eyed shocked expression and the way she eventually relaxed into the chaste kiss, closing her eyes. Hilda closed them a little bit after, prolonging the act as much as she could.

“I love you too, Hilda,  _ so much _ ,” Marianne breathed huskily upon her lips when they parted and scrunching her face as her emotions threatened to get the better of her again. Hilda peppered it all with little pecks trying to stop anymore tears from coming back to assault poor Marianne. 

“Silly, there’s nothing to cry about,” Hilda nuzzled into her, feeling rather embarrassed for how cheesy she sounded, “We love each other, it’s the greatest night of our life! So enjoy it, I love your smile the most Marianne!”

Marianne shifted a little into the hug, pressing her lips against Hilda’s cheek before her courage could flutter away into the starry night sky, “You’re right, thank you Hilda.” The tender expression she gave Hilda was something she never saw before, a genuine bold smile reserved just for her. Hilda was ecstatic, but she couldn’t help one last tease, “So should we continue this in my room or yours?”

Marianne’s flustered expression had her in a fit of giggles. It truly was the greatest night of her life ever and Hilda knew it was just the start of a new adventure for the both of them, and they’d live it to the fullest. Together.


	7. Mari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final Day 7 Prompt: Free Day
> 
> Summary: Marianne might not remember it but Hilda had met her a long time before they came to Garreg Mach when Margrave Edmund fetched a poor little girl lost in a forest and seeked shelter at House Goneril

“If you’ve got something on your mind I’ll listen,” Hilda chimed, she was all warmed up with her favourite tea having taken up half the room in her belly, not to mention she had all her favourite pastries out for a very special occasion. Lowering and placing her teacup back in it’s plate, she took in the view of the gardens where teatime could be served waiting for her company to ease up a little. She booked the place for the afternoon, so they wouldn’t be disturbed. 

Marianne had been fidgeting in her seat ever since they arrived. It was true Hilda had passed her by with her basket filled with all sorts of delicacies and a small, very special gift safely hidden in a corner, wove her arm around Marianne’s and dragged her away. However she had certainly asked first and it had all been rather civil, she was just enthusiastic for the opportunity to get to know the curiosity that was Marianne better. She had been waiting a long time for this...

“I don’t know why you insist on spending time with me!” she blurted, eyes squeezed shut and almost looked ready for a fight if Hilda protested. What a strange thing to get her blood pumping. However, Hilda was patient and had gotten used to the pessimistic view of the world Marianne held. So instead of being put off, she just tapped a finger to her chin and tried not to let her excitement get the better of her. Play it off! She needed to explain thoroughly even if she was a little disappointed after the months they’d spent together in the same class, at lunchtime and during activities or chores. She had hoped Marianne would notice.

“Ah!” Hilda hummed getting comfortable in her chair and sighing, “So you really don’t recognize me?” Granted she hadn’t put two plus two together herself until somebody had mentioned that Marianne was Margrave von Edmund’s daughter. “Then how about I take you back through memory lane with me with a little story?”

Marianne gave a small confused humph, quirking a brow and narrowing her eyes at a cream tart in front of her. She slowly nodded obviously lost and her own interest in getting to know what was going on getting the better of her. So Hilda clapped her hands getting ready for the long story to come, took the time to pour some more tea in their empty cups and organized her thoughts a little. She began her tale in the chirpiest of voices, “ must’ve been around eight at the time? My father got called in to help an old friend, Margrave von Edmund,”

Marianne’s eyes widened, she had her attention and most likely Hilda had poked a forgotten memory shelved at the back of her mind, Hilda smiled hopeful of her plan and continued to narrate the story of their very first encounter..

…

Being the eight year old daughter of an influential noble was a one way ticket to success, especially with the crest of Goneril already manifested. In retrospect, it also meant it would heavily influence the rest of her life, there were a lot of burdens and responsibilities to be dropped on the little shoulders of the small girl that was Hilda Valentine Goneril. Even so it was a laid back life before she reached her teenage years and she was spoiled rotten by her parents and talented older brother - Hilda knew how to work around adults learning quickly with her smart, young wits what she needed to do to have people dance in the palm of her cute chubby child hands. 

Though her younger self was already beginning to adapt it didn’t mean that she was immune to the childhood horrors that were nightmares! And that very night, when her mother and brother had left home in the morning to run some errands in their territory (Holst was already old enough to start learning the ropes according to their parents), she had nobody to seek for comfort but her father. They wouldn’t return for another couple of days so she had to slide off her bed and seek refuge in the largest bedroom which her mother and father slept in. It wasn’t as comfy as sleeping in between their loving arms, but her father would surely know how to comfort her.

When she managed to open the door to her parent’s room, on tippy toes and stretching since she was a little on the short side even for an eight year old, she found the room vacant much to her dismay. There was an eerie silence in the corridor and rubbed her arm nervously. The bed was undone but already cold. She whimpered, recalling the scary monster that had chased her around her house in her dream and although she was old enough to know better, the encroaching darkness around her made Hilda feel very uneasy. Her stomach pulsed to the beat of her thumping heart and she felt a little ill.

Thankfully, she heard the gruff voice of her father coming from downstairs, and she scampered to the stairs as fast as she could holding her gown up so she could see her feet. As long as she made it to the lit area downstairs she would be safe, monsters hated the light. She made the journey toward the waiting room following the tired, exasperated voice of the Duke.

“What were you thinking?” he growled, and the frustration in his voice stopped Hilda from bursting into the room. Instead, she peeked into it, thankfully the room wasn’t shut closed. Upon seeing the tall guest in full armor watching his father pace around the room she was glad she didn’t run inside and listened fighting the urge to find solace in hugging her shorter, muscled bulk of a man that her father was.

“I couldn’t leave her there all alone in that forest, now, could I?” the soldier replied curtly, he didn’t seem like a man of many words. Standing tall and proud, his hands entwined behind his back, he spoke with a calm, steady voice.

Her father huffed, waved off his reply and paced some more grumbling gibberish to the ears of his spectators until finally he said rather crossly, “I know she’s but a child, but her bloodline Edmund, it is concerning, does she bear…” He turned around to make eye to eye contact. Hilda was always told that you should never look away from a person’s face if you wanted true answers. Their expression could betray whether they lied or not.

She remembered the man from one of the biggest parties she had been to. It was in his honor as a welcoming event for a new leader of the Alliance, even Hilda had to attend as a possible heir to a seat.. Margrave Edmund had recently started rising up in the nobility, a man of good conduct, strict yet kind to the people in his care. He knew how to talk his way into people’s hearts and his new trading company had been a blessing to his land by the rough seas. Many said he trained his most promising men personally and was more than just a capable fighter.

His head lowered regardless of his status, hung down as it was, it was all the duke needed to put together what he needed to know. Hilda scrunched up her face, pawing at her eyes in her grogginess wondering who they were talking about and if this person was feeling unwell. Did they catch some strange illness or were they being chased by something bad? Her mind went wild with possibilities regardless of what she actually heard, imagination taking over common sense.

“My friend, you cannot possibly be thinking to make her your heir?” he asked flabbergasted. 

Margrave Edmund nodded, his eyes bore into his friend’s and it felt like he could see right past the flesh and into the soul, the Head of the House Goneril slammed his mouth shut before he could utter any other word against Edmund’s plans.

“My wife is ill, she can bear me no heir, nor do I want her to suffer in the last years of her life just to do so,” he spoke slowly, with great sadness and it was clear he loved his wife more than anything else. It made Hilda feel sad for him, “However, I am duty bound to leave my territory to a suitable candidate, she may not be my daughter by flesh however she is family even though it’s from distant blood,,”

“A far branch of your family, my dear Margrave, very far from your own,” he pleaded with the man, walking up to him and placing raising his hand to place them on the other man’s shoulders, “A family with a terrible burden nobody would want to wish their worst enemy, you’d be taking it on your shoulders,”

“If it lessens the weight on that child’s own scrawny back, then so be it,” he replied curtly blowing air from his nose in a small snort of defiance, it was evident he was not going to budge on this, “I will be adopting Marianne, as my own, and I will settle any fight with any monsters she carries inside or outside myself. Although, ultimately she should face her greatest fears on her own, i’ll make sure she is prepared,”

Hilda couldn’t keep up with the conversation, she was still feeling queasy thanks to the horrid dream and suddenly being startled awake by it on her lonesome. She took a step back, wanting very much to cuddle into her father’s embrace when the light from slightly open door to her right caught her eye. It was one of the living rooms she liked to play in, with the comfiest sofas and cushions and as any other eight year out she skipped to take a peek inside always ready to get in trouble without a thought to satiat any sudden interest. The pitter patter of her bare feet was barely audible on the wooden floorboards.

The door creaked a little as she tried to open it a smidge for a better look. She winced and caught sight of a scruffy looking tuft of blue hair flinching on the sofa and scurrying off of it. The figure fell on their knees with a yelp, jumping back up in a millisecond and ran quickly to hide by the other end of the sofa. A pair of frightened and curious, big, puffy, red eyes - a lovely shade of what she seemed to be gray - gazed inquisitively right back at Hilda.

Hilda straightened, looking at her foot as she dug it with a spin into the floor, it was another child like herself and nothing too frightening. Why was she hiding? Or was she actually a monster in disguise? The corridor downstairs was illuminated, however Hilda wasn’t happy at all being alone. Her discomfort in staying outside the room with only the adult’’s angry whispers for company won over and she went into the room, closing the door behind her. Besides, an evil monster wouldn’t be shivering in fear of a little child. The girl squeaked in fright as if to prove her point hiding out of view as Hilda gave her a tiny wave..

“Hello?” Hilda sang hoping to lure her out.

No reply. Hilda hummed in thought trying to think of a way to get her to talk to her. She was feeling rather lonely, and the prospect of a new friend gave her an ample distraction from her strained nerves. Climbing onto the sofa, she crawled up to the edge and leaned forwards on the arm looking down at the huddled, trembling form of a little girl who seemed to be her same age..

She was awfully thin, malnourished wearing a tattered, muddy dress, and no shoes. Her feet were black and scrapped up, there were the remnants of twigs and dirt in her hair. In her right hand, the arm of a small plushie that seemed like some sort of doggie to Hilda was being gripped tightly. It hung limply next to her knee, nearly touching the floor with its legs. Hilda scowled wondering if she had a bad night, she seemed worse for the wear than even Hilda who was young and sheltered. She couldn’t possibly comprehend what was worse than nightmares, “Are you okay?” 

The girl’s breath hitched, she glanced furtively upwards lifting her head from under her arms and gulped at the attention of the great big curious eyes Seeing that the person addressing her was not a scary adult had her blink in surprise, she tilted her head examining her. Hilda was so cheerfully comfy with her arms hanging limply down, her chin resting on the arm of the sofa and an amicable smile.

“I...I think so?” the blue haired girl replied, lying through her teeth since she didn’t want to upset a stranger. She was looking forwards with a breath of relief and let her legs unfurl from beneath her, straightening them in front of her. Her back hit the side of the sofa and suddenly when she relaxed she felt something ruffle her hair. Her hands shot up to her head and she jumped away staring wide eyed at the pouting Hilda.

“Sorry, I feel better when my mum pats my head so I thought it would make you feel better,” she explained looking gloomy from the rejection and rather repentful, “Your hair is really pretty and soft!”

“Oh, sorry, I...just had a bad night,” she whispered, lowering her arms along with her plush and squeezing the stuffed toy in a bear hug, hoping to comfort herself. She had been so intent on trying to forget that she was taken away from her home, that the people shunned her when she asked for help to find her parents.

_ ‘You are nothing but a monster in the making like your father,’ _ they screeched in rabid rage. _ ‘Get out before  _ you hurt anyone else!’

She shuddered at the memory, gulping - how cruelly they had chased her into the forest, threw rocks until the Margrave came riding in gallantly and swiped her away on horseback.

Hilda perked right up and jumped over the arm, “Me too! I had a nightmare that I was chased by a big scary and smelly skeleton beast and that it had eaten my family and...and…!” Hilda stopped her recollection noticing she had no idea what to call her new friend, she hadn’t asked the name of their guest. Her brother Holst always said exchanging names was good manners, he used a big difficult name for it, etiquette! “Oh right, what's your name?”

“Mari, oh erm,” The girl rubbed her nose on the back of her hand, her eyes moving to the floor, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be so casual with me, everybody says my family is weird. That I’m a f-freak, you know,” She fidgeted waiting for a reply, it was better that this goofy girl just left her like everybody else, she didn’t want to cause her trouble. Her eyes darting from Hilda back to the floor, and she added gently before the pink haired girl could run away,, “I’m sorry about your nightmare,”

They called them all sorts of names, beast, demons, monsters and a curse to humanity. She hadn’t cared because her parents had always been there to protect her. Even when they had been driven away from living in the village and had to settle in the outskirts, dealing with other people only to negotiate for food and water. Now it was different.

“You seem pretty normal to me,” Hilda scoffed, plopping on the floor right next to her. “You're nice enough listening to me whine about scary monsters that aren’t even real!I’m eight I should be big enough not to be afraid!”

Mari was stunned into silence receiving the opposite reaction than the one she thought up. She watched her new acquaintance pout, lower lip protruding cutely. Hilda had hugged her knees, placing her chin on them and yawned. Now that she finally stopped moving it was clear to see she was trembling. Perhaps it was from the chill of nighttime, however she remembered her talking about a scary monster waking her up. Mari had a pensive look about her, she pulled her plush toy holding it from under his arms and hugged him tight to her chest. She had made up her mind.

With a tap on Hilda’s shoulder she had her attention again, Mari took her hand and placed her plushie’s own into it. “This is Dorte, he’s a little wolf, and my lucky charm. He keeps the scary thoughts away! He’s really brave, my mum said so, and really strong.”

Hilda cooed giddily at the new toy in her hands, crossing her legs and holding Dorte, the little wolf was neatly stitched together by an expert hand. It was a cute grey colour, with a cute blue jacket and floppy ears. His neat, mismatched button eyes made her giggle.

“He’s yours now, I hope he can help you out as much as he did for me,” Mari gave her an adorable little smile that almost immediately vanished. Hilda was saddened to see it go and wondered if she could cheer up her new friend. The gift she had been given was so wonderful Hilda had to hold back from squealing. Her father was still busy and she knew better than to disturb him when he had looked so serious so little Dorte was a welcome replacement. She joyfully hugged him to her chest noticing he was still warm from being held by Mari.

“I...but Mari, what about you? Won’t you need him?” she offered him back, Mari shook her head vehemently pushing Dorte back into Hilda’s lap.

“I don’t think...he can’t help me anymore, he’d be happier with you,” she mumbled gloomily, the monsters she would face couldn’t be stopped by a fairytale a loving mother had made up for her fretful child. She could no longer run away. At age eight, Mari had been forced to grow up and face the world in such a short span of time it left her a little numb. She wanted to be of use to Hilda, who was kind enough to talk to her without prejudice and not nearly as gruff as the man who saved her. Though she had felt safe, carried in his strong yet gentle arms. She knew Dorte could keep Hilda company, safe from any monsters in her worst dreams. Right now, Mari just thought he would only remind her of loss.

Hilda sat observing the brooding Mari, took note of the hand by her side and on a whim decided to hold onto it. Mari didn’t protest, finding solace in the warmth of the tiny hand in her own similarly small one. They sat silently, a thoughtful noble’s daughter gazing at the sad, quiet child that had given her whole world to her unbeknownst to Hilda and leaning against one another.

It didn’t sit right with Hilda sensing something was very wrong, staring back at Dorte’s button eyes she imagined he had a rather melancholic look about him. Before Hilda could protest, feeling that Dorte was too important for Mari to be seperated from her, feeling the plushie held a lot of the kind feelings of whoever made it for Mari, she opened her mouth only to shriek as the door burst open.

The two men were surprised to see Hilda in the room, however Margrave Edmund smiled down at them even though her father chastised her - a tender expression she never dreamed to see on such a serious looking man’s face - he thanked her in his quiet, firm voice as he lifted Mari into his arms. Hilda shyly looked down at her feet feeling the man’s strong gaze on her was too much to meet at the age of eight. She hugged Dorte close to her chest even as her father picked her up.

Mari waved tiredly at her, her eyes lingering sorrowfully on the friendly girl and her beloved Dorte as she was taken away. They walked the new father-daughter pair to the door, Hilda feeling that something was not quite right. Both girls clung to their fathers for very different reasons and Mari watched the figures of man and child grow smaller and smaller as Margrave Edmund rode home into the night.

…

Marianne seemed lost in thought, staring at her tea cup. She hadn’t taken another sip since Hilda started the retelling of her story. Seeing Marianne so distracted, the bubbly pink haired girl took the opportunity to bob down where she left her basket and retrieve the special, little gift from it. She’d been planning this little date since she’d figured out Edmund’s daughter, Mari or rather Marianne was going to Garreg Mach with her. She hadn’t expected to come to like her to such an extent even more than the treasured memory of her kind, little friend Mari.

“I think this little guy missed his bestie,” Hilda got up to her feet presenting Dorte, in the flesh - or rather cotton and fabric - even though he was now over 10 years old, Hilda who turned out to be very good with her hands kept him in perfect condition.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Mari,” she giggled, watching Marianne’s expression change from surprise, to denial and straight up relief until she was tearing up as she took the small, gentle looking Dorte into her arms. “Dorte kept me safe just like you said,”

Marianne laughed into a sob, holding Dorte as close to her chest as possible. She took a deep breath and blinked the tears away, “I’m sure he did, he’s a special one,” Marianne pressed a kiss to the top of his head, “My mother had made him for me. I just...it hurt too much to hold onto him and I thought you needed him more.” She took a ragged breath before continuing, “I don’t regret giving him to you even if I missed him dearly, I knew you were amazing,”

“You’re just as wonderful marianne I wish you could see that!” Hilda said feeling a little embarrassed at such honest praise“, “You know, I always wanted to meet you again, you were so kind, it left an impression,”

Hilda leaning back against her chair, bringing her cup to her lips. She sipped lazily giving Marianne all the time that she needed to compose herself and wondered how to express herself meaningfully getting into Marianne’s thick head,. “You never attended parties with your father, and I could never think of an excuse to call on you. He kept you under tight vigilance, after all,”

Marianne looked up to Hilda with a serious look, biting her lip and clearly uncertain on how much to divulge of her past, the secrets she kept close to her heart, “I...was fighting my own battles, I’m sorry I never thought I should trouble you,” Marianne sighed retreating into her seat knowing she inconvenienced Hilda, though the girl obviously didn’t mind, “He didn’t formally introduce me as his child until i was thirteen and _ presentable _ , and I had no idea where to look for you either,”

“You’re so silly,” she puffed up her cheeks in disagreement, her typical reaction at Marianne’s pessimism. It was true that Margrave Edmund hadn’t presented Marianne into society as his adoptive daughter right away. Not until the year 1176, which was actually only four years ago. Even then, Marianne had been excused from social gatherings with the excuse of her studies since she had to catch up - or at least that's what her father had told everybody. Nobody knew she had been living in the Edmund estate for many years already, even before the wife of Margrave Edmund departed. Hilda would be lying if she said she didn’t want to know about all the mystery involving Marianne and her past, on the other hand she didn’t want to ruin the rosy atmosphere they had going. The past could wait a little longer so they could enjoy the present.

“Thank you Hilda, thank you so much,” Marianne said in earnest, with a lovely smile so beautiful and bright, red cheeks emphasizing the lovely grey of her eyes. Hilda nearly choked on her tea, she’d never seen Marianne  _ smile _ before, let alone make such a wonderful expression. She was happy that she brought Dorte along, just like every other trip she took before, she always hoped to catch a glimpse of the scrawny, battered girl from her childhood.

Hilda grinned right back, rather pleased with herself, feeling that no words could describe the bubbling sensation rising up from the pit of her stomach and sending warmth around her body to the tip of her limbs. Marianne’s happiness was so infectious, it had Hilda blushing at the spectacle of such an angelic sight.

“I’m glad we met again,” Marianne responded caressing Dorte’s snout joyful at the surprising reunion. “I never did catch your name that time after all,”

Hilda scowled at the tease noticing that Marianne was right. She hadn’t introduced herself at all, so they had remained the adoptive daughter of Margrave Edmund and the mysterious child she met in a room in some odd man’s house to one another. Now that she had returned her little friend to his rightful owner, nothing stopped her from forming an actual, real bond with Marianne. Hilda leaned onto her hand, a satisfied grin etched into her face and winked suggestively, “Well, Marianne, no time like the present to catch up, don’t you think?”


End file.
